With the success and widespread prevalence of credit and debit cards used for banking transactions, banks and financial institutions have begun to use wireless smart devices in order to provide customers with a more powerful set of features than those offered by traditional magnetic stripe (“magstripe”) credit cards.
As used herein, the term “wireless smart device” refers to a device with processing capabilities capable of communicating via an electromagnetic field between the device and some other entity, usually a wireless terminal or reader. Wireless smart devices may include programmable on-board memory for storing one or more applications for performing various functions. For example, a proximity integrated circuit card (PICC) may communicate wirelessly with a proximity coupling device (PCD) to perform banking transactions similar to those performed by a traditional magstripe credit card. PICCs typically may include one or more MIFARE® applications, one or more ISO 14443-4 applications, or both. As will be explained in more detail below, MIFARE® and ISO 14443-4 are standards that define protocols for applications on wireless smart devices.
PICCs may communicate with PCDs using a wireless communications technology, such as Near Field Communication (NFC). For example, a wireless smart device, such as a mobile phone with a built-in PICC capable of Near Field Communication with a PCD (hereinafter referred to as a “NFC phone”), may communicate with a reader via inductive coupling of the reader antenna to the device antenna. The wireless reader modulates the loading on its antenna in order to amplitude-modulate a radio frequency (RF) field. The modulations in the RF field are received by an antenna located on the wireless smart device, thereby communicating information. The wireless smart device communicates with the reader in a similar way by modulating the loading on its antenna. An example of near-field wireless communications standard commonly used by wireless smart devices is ISO 14443. The International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 14443 specification (hereinafter referred to as the “ISO 14443”) defines a communications protocol for wireless smart devices operating at 13.56 MHz in close proximity with a reader antenna. ISO 14443 consists of four parts, hereinafter referred to as 14443-1, 14443-2, 14443-3, and 14443-4. ISO 14443-1 and 14443-2 define the physical characteristics of PICCs and the methods for wireless power and data transfer between PCDs and PICCS. ISO 14443-3 defines initialization and anti-collision protocols for PICCs and PCDs. Finally, ISO 14443-4 defines the high-level data transmission protocols used by PICCs and PCDs.
As used herein, the term “layer 4 application” refers to an application stored on a wireless smart device, such as a PICC, that complies with the ISO 14443-4 specification. An exemplary layer 4 application includes a credit card payment application, such as a MasterCard™ or Visa™ contactless payment application. Unlike magstripe cards, which are read-only devices that simply report account information to the magstripe card reader, wireless smart devices may perform functions, such as encryption/decryption of data, authentication, authorization, and verification of the user or of the user's transaction, storage and/or validation of the card-holder's identification. Examples of wireless smart devices that may include layer 4 applications include mobile phones, smart phones, key fobs, physical cards, and personal digital assistants with interfaces to local card readers.
As used herein, the term “MIFARE® application” refers to an application stored on a wireless smart device that complies with the MIFARE® specification. The MIFARE® wireless smart card standard is a proprietary technology based on the ISO 14443 Type A specification. A first category of MIFARE® products includes MIFARE® Classic and MIFARE® UltraLight which support ISO 14443-1, 14443-2, and 14443-3, but replace ISO 14443-4 with MIFARE® proprietary protocol. Additionally, MIFARE® Classic products support a proprietary security protocol for authentication. A second category of MIFARE® products includes MIFARE® ProX and MIFARE® SmartMX wireless smart devices and readers that supports all four parts of ISO 14443 and can also support MIFARE® proprietary protocol. MIFARE® applications may include, for example, electronic coupons or customer loyalty cards.
One problem associated with conventional wireless smart device readers is an inability to interact with both MIFARE® and ISO 14443-4 applications located on the same wireless smart device during a common transaction, such as a payment transaction. For example, a conventional wireless reader may detect a wireless smart device that supports both ISO 14443-4 and MIFARE® applications. In response to receiving information from the wireless smart device, the reader determines whether the device supports ISO 14443-4. If so, an ISO 14443-4 transaction is attempted. If the transaction is terminated for any reason, the reader cannot attempt to perform a MIFARE® transaction. No standard defines how the reader should prioritize a combination of multiple ISO 14443-4 and MIFARE® applications.
In a typical transaction, a wireless smart device including both ISO 14443-4 and MIFARE® applications may be presented to a wireless reader. The reader may then determine that the smart device supports ISO 14443-4 and attempt to perform an ISO 14443-4 transaction. However, because the user of the smart device does not wish to perform an ISO 14443-4 transaction, the transaction is terminated. However, the user is not able to perform the desired MIFARE® transaction in this case because the conventional wireless smart device reader is incapable of determining whether the wireless smart device supports MIFARE® and subsequently transitioning from an ISO 14443-4 transaction to a MIFARE® transaction. Moreover, in addition to placing limitations on the type of transactions that may be performed as a result of a terminated ISO 14443-4 transaction, conventional wireless readers are also incapable of transitioning from successfully interacting with an ISO 14443-4 application to initiating a MIFARE® application during a common transaction.
Accordingly, in light of the problems with current wireless smart device readers, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer program products for supporting ISO 14443-4 and MIFARE® applications on the same wireless smart device during a common transaction.